Five Permissions Which Are Not Required For Android Games
You can deny some permissions to greedy games, and these most certainly do not have any requirement of these five.
By default, some applications on your phone have very limited permissions. For gaining access to most of your data - and potentially some dangerous Android app features, they have the requirement of your explicit consent. Android is indulged in doing that for security reasons; if permissions are having the potential for abuse, it is better if a mobile application does not have them by default.
Applications are actually in requirement of some permissions for doing their jobs. For example, AR games really have the requirement of getting access to the camera. But even legitimate mobile applications are often having the desire for more permissions than that they actually require. Given below are five permissions that bona fide mobile games certainly don't have any requirement of, and of course malware masquerading as a game would love to have.
Accessibility
What it is actually?Accessibility is comprised of a set of Android features that can assist in enabling people, especially people with disabilities for making use of the device. Mobile apps with accessibility rights are able to see everything that used to happen on the screen and used to control everything as if they were the user: changing of settings, performing actions in another app, and so on.
One example of an app that has the requirement of Accessibility permissions is a voice assistant, which makes use of them for the execution of the voice commands and for reading the information from the phone out loud. Games do not have any requirement for this feature set.
What is the danger?An app that has accessibility access is able to do almost anything on the device. For instance, it can perform online banking transactions, change screen settings, read and write e-mails and other messages, and many more. Generally, in spite of the innocuous-sounding name, it seems to be extremely dangerous permission.
Device admin apps
What it is actually?Device admin apps are inclusive of the remote control of the device. The permission might be required if the phone is being used for work, for instance, and the system administrators of the company have the requirement of access to it. Generally, apps do not have any requirement of this kind of permissions, and you should definitely not grant this permission to the games.
What is the danger?Armed with admin rights, mobile apps are able in changing the password of a device, delete files, lock the screen, and so on. What is more, getting rid of any "game" with admin rights will not be easy at all. The permission is intended for corporate admin tools the should not be removed from the phone by the employees.
Installation of unknown apps
What is it actually?Permission for the installation of unknown apps is referred to having the ability for downloading other apps from anywhere, not just from Google Play. Games simply do not have the requirement of this ability.
What is the danger?Even if any game is not malicious, this kind of permission gives further the permission to download "partner apps" on your smartphone or tablet, and it can be very hard to get rid of later. Moreover, some of the partner apps might pass you some genuine malware. You should not serve this permission to anything, and download apps only from some official sources.
Display over other apps
What is it actually?On top of any running apps, it is permission to display the app window. Facebook messenger makes use of this feature for showing chat icons even when you are making use of another program, for instance.
What is the danger?This permission facilitates you with minimal benefit to the user, but it can be the reason for significant harm. An unscrupulous game might make use of it for displaying banner ads on top of other apps. And if it turns out to be malware in disguise, it can also demand ransom and lock screen, or sneak in a fake from for doing entry of bank card details. Or overlay of a fake virtual keyboard can be the real one for reading everything you type.
With a completely clear overlay that is obscuring the app, you think you are making use of, criminals are also eligible in gaining your consent for just about anything. In one scenario, a mobile app used to request access to, just say Accessibility permissions and displays a window over it with the help of an innocent message, you just say the content that is temporarily inaccessible.
This window used to cover everything instead of the real OK button in the request. The unsuspecting user used to tap it, and boom, cybercriminals have gained accessibility in their bags.
SMS
What is it actually?SMS permissions serve a mobile app with the ability of reading and sending SMS, MMS, and WAP Push messages. Games do not have a requirement of it, and they are not even eligible to get it unless you make them your default app for handling text messages. But malware used to pretend to be a game that may demand it.
What is the danger?By gaining access to text messages, mobile apps can subscribe you to paid services by sending messages to short numbers. These can also do the spamming of your contacts.
Most dangerous of all things is that this permission serves apps to intercept messages with one-time confirmation codes from banks, which makes the attackers able to log in to your personal bank account and steal your money.
Don't Give Permissions To Apps More Than What They Require
Android used to serve with a lot more permissions. Here, we have just covered all those permissions that you must never give to games under any circumstances. But, you are also required to treat another permission with due care as well.
When it comes to the security of the device, you can never be so much cautious. If some-three-in-a-row games are desired to get access to your microphone or camera, you should not say no. And if a game has the requirement of permission in reality for working, you can always allow it later on.